Ski towrope gripper



J 1949. E. E. LAGERGREN 2,458,786

SKI TOWROPE GRIPPER Filed Jan. 22, 1947 3m entr EAE1. E. LAGERGREN Patented Jan. I1, 1949 SKI 'IOWROPE GRIPPER Earl E. Lagergren, King Countx; Wash.

Application January 22, 1.947, Serial N0. 723,489

9 Claims.

The present invention concerns a. device to enable a Skier to grip a Ski tow rope whereby the skier may be pulled uphill.

Such Ski tow ropes are in widespread use at winter recreation a1eas, ancl skiers alter sliding dovvnhill a1e saved the slow and arcluous task 01 climbing back up again, for they can be hauled to the top of the hillmerely by grasping the tow rope Which mns continuously up the hil1. Hewever, sinne it is VeI'Y tiresome to holden to the tow rope by the hands while being towed uphill, it is necessary to provide some means whereby the skier may mo1e securly and with less efiort grasp the toW rope. Nevertheless, such a gripping device must not only be readily engageable with the meving tow rope, but must be as easily dlgengageable, anal indeed should be disengageab1e both at the will f the skier, and also automattically in case 0f a spill 01 similar accident, in order that the skier (who is coxinected to the gripping clevice by a short be1t rope and -thence to the tow rope 'by the gripping device) imay not be pullecl into the winding mechanism about which the tow 10pe'runs at the t0p of the hill er in the event 0f a spill on the way up be dragged along by the continuously running tow rope.

There have been devies intended. 130 obtain the results already indicated, but such devices as have been available heretofore have in themselves had certain drawbacks. One such d'rawback is that these devices when released from gripping engagement with the tow rope are likely to be thrown, un1ess retained in the skiers g1asp, by the forces reacting from the 110W rope as they are disengaged, in such manner as to enclanger the skier 0r persons nearby. One -of the primar3r objects of the present invention is to provide a Ski tow rope g-ripper which is readily engageable With the tow rope, easily held in operative position in engagement therewith, and yet which Will automatically and with certainty release from the tow rope, except while the skier consciously desires to remain conne :ted thereto, anal without the production of forces tending t0 throw it O1 dis place it violently, to the possible danger of persons nearby, 01 the skierhimself.

It is also an ebject of the present inventlon to provide a deviceof this general natura which shal1 loe not only streng andmugged, laut capable of being formed of 1ight weight and relatively small compass, so that it Will be no burden to the Skier when not in use.

It is a subsidiary object to provide such a gripping device Which in its conformation is readily adapted to the preliminary operation of grasping the tow rope in the hands and then of transferringthe grip from the hands to the gripping device.

Further objects, and particu1arly such as relate more specially t o 'mechanical .detalls, wlllbe .asa

- in theinvention is shown in a presently preferred 'form, and from the claims at the end of this specification.

Figure 1 is a bottom. vievvof the clevice with a part broken away to illustrate a pivot connection, anal with the device shovvn by broken lines in position for application to the tow rope.

Flgure2 is a longitudinal vertical seCtional view through the device, showing various positions in full lines and in dot-dash 1ines.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the device With parts shown in the operative position.

Figure 4 .is an end view of the device looking at thegripping end and showing lts relationship to a. tow. rope, and Figure 5 is an end view frorn the opposite end.

Figure 6 is a perspec'tive view showing the manner in which the device is used Joy a Skier.

The'device comprises three principal parts, an elongated handle 2, a shackle I, and a latch 3. These three elements al e permanently -connected to .one an0.ther and are each relative1y moVable. The handle. 2 may be considered as the fixed element however .and the shackle I, which is of a sizefand;shape to receive and embrace the tow rope R (Figure 4), is mounted upon one end of the. handle for movement relative to the handle between an operative position and a releasing position. A pivotal mounting is shown, though some other type of relative movement could be employed instead. The pivot pin I!) is located betw een the ends of the shackle I, and preferably nearez: its inner end than its outer end, and is disposed transversely adjacent one end of the handle 2.

In the operative or rope-gripping position of the shaokle I, shovvn in Figure 3 anal in position A in ful1 lines inFigure 2, the rope is -slightly comstri-cted and oramped between the edge l l of the shac'kle l .and an offset extension 2l of the hanalle '2wvhich isspaced, longitudinally of the rope R f rom the edge H, andat the opposite side of the handles median plane, from the latter. In this position of pa'rts, the rope, pulling against the shackle l in the sense directed in line with laut away from the handle i, is unable to disengage from the shackle, for the shackle l and extension 2I cooperate to-encircle the rope by more thana half-circ1e, anal yet by inclinin th enti-re device, in the direction-opposi-te to its inclination while operatively engagecl With the rope, and mwing-ittransversely ofthe rope, the gap betwenthepoint of the shackle andthe extension2-l isrsuf1icientl) Wide to permit entrance of the rope. This will be explained in somewhat greater;d %tail hereafter.

ltifollows that if the shackle is retained in this rope-gripping .position, anclifthe natura of the bul1 ein the gripping device while engaged with the tow rope is such as to maintain the rope cramped, or to increase its tenden-cy to be oramped, Ioetween II and 2I, the gripping device Will not be disengaged from the tow rope. In order to hold the shackle in this rope-embraoing position, the latch 3 engages with the shackle and so retains the shackle.

The latch might Ioe f any suitable form, and n eed not oe pivotall3r mounted, though that is a oonvenlent way of mounting it. Thlls, the latch 3 is mounted by a hollow pivot pin 30, parallel to the pivot III, and reasonably close to the.latter so that the latch lever 3 has a long arm and a short arm. The short arm 3I acts as a dog to engage the shoulder I3 at the inner end or shorter arm of the 'shackle I, so long as the ng arm of the latch lever extends (as shown in fu11 lines in Figure 2) alongside the handle where it can loe engaged by a hand which grasps the handle. So heldand but little effort is required so to hold it because of the great mechanical advantage of the lever system I, 3the latch lever 3 retains the shackle I in rope-engaging position against the forces reacting from the rope throu 11 the shackle, tending to urge the latch lever 3 to the open or dot-dash 1ine position C of Figure 2.

lt is evident that release of the shackle is readily aocomplhed when dsired merely by releasing the latch 1ever 3, whereupon as soon as the latch lever reaches the position B in Figure 2 lt is freed from furt'ner restraint, and the pull of the tow rope agalnst the gripping device rotates the shackle 'to position C, whereupon the shackle freely releases itself from the tow rope R. This occurg while the handle 2 is still held securely in the hands 0x" the Skier. Nevertheless, should the Skier sturnble or f all and release the handle 2, the release 0f the shackle I automatlcally occurs; lt is impossible to re'tain the gripper in engagement With the tow rope if the lever 3 is released, for there is then no reslstance to the shackle-open- Ing force of the rope.

The hollow pivot at 30 is providecl for the purpose of securing a belt rope r, the other end of which is secured to the belt of the skier. Such an anchorage might Ioe located elsewhere, but this has been found a cohvenient location.

In using the device the Skier stations himself alongsicle the moving tow rope R. In one band he holds the g1ipper, which is in the operative position of Figure 3. He now graspg the rnoving rope With hoth hands, and in so doing lays the gripping device, particularly the handle 2, With its groove 22, longitudinally alongside the tow rope, and encompasses the handle 2 and rope R Within the grip of bis band. By grasplng the rope firmly the skier thus accelerates himself until he is moving at the same speeol as the rope. NOW, at the first opportunity the skier quickly removes his one band, and the gripper, from the rope, and places the gripping device at an angle directed forwardly of a perpendicular to the tow rope, and hooks the end of the shackle, still hold in its inoperative or latched position A, over o1 under the rope, in such manner as to cramp the rope s1ihtll? between the edge II and the lateral extension 2I when the natural pull 011 the handle inolines lt rearwardly. Thi5 natural pull of the belt rope r serves to maintain the grippin device at such angle, nea-rly perpendicular to but inclined somewhat rearwardly relative to the l'un of the tow rope R that the gripping device may not slip from the tow rope, but the tow rope is rather held cramped somewhat. The Skier i s thus towed a1ong, mainly by means of the belt rope 1 and needs only apply such force to the handle 2 and to the latch 3 as Will hold the latch secure against the stop 23 of the handle. Very little effort is required because of the large mechanical advantage in the leveraga As soon as th skie1 desires to release the tow rope, he needs only release the latch 3, whereupon the forces acting up'on it through the shackle, and which bias the latch -to move to open position, actually moVe lt to open position, releasing the shackle and per- 1nitting the latter to move through the position B to the released posit-ion C, whereupon the rope R immediately slip5 from the shackle, belng no longel" held between the -shackle and the extenslon 2I.

I't will Ioe evident that the skier retains the gripping device, through the handle 2, within bis grasp at all times, and that no forces are develope'd by the release of the gripping device from the tow rope tending throw the gripping device as a whole out of the grasp of the skier. All such forces act only to rotate the shackle to releasing position. The device may be made from light, yet strong metal, as for instance aluminum or alurninum a1loy oastlngs and the forces developed by the movement of the shackle to releasing position or by the coincident moving of the latch are but slight. The device will retain itself automatically in engagement with the tow rope so long as the 1atch holds the shackle in tow rbpe-engaging position, the position A of Figure 2, yet will always and automatically release th tow rope as soon as the latch is released.

In particular lt should Ioe noted that the ropeengaging operatlon is effected alter the parts are in rope-secured or latched position and. no closing of jaws to pinch the moving rope, or latching operation after engagement, is required. The engaging operation is one of entering the tow rope through an entrance gap vvhlch is always large enough to nass the rope, laut which will pass lt only if the handle and gripper as a whole are inolined forwardly of the position in Which they are dispo5ed while they pull the skier along; in thls latter rearwardly inclined position the rope is deflected and encircled about a substantial part of its circumference, by the coopera'tion between the edges I I and 2I Which nevertheless are widely spaced lengthwise of the rope R.

The relationship of gripper to tow rope during initial e'ngagement is shown in Figure 1 by broken lines.

I clairn as my invention:

l. A ski tow rope gripping device comprising a shackle formed to receive and embrace, or to re lease, the tow rope; an elongated handle at one end whereof sald shackl& is mounted for movement between an operative or rope-engaging position, and a rope-releasing position, said handle being formed, in coomration With the shackle when the latter is in operative position, to cramp and bind the tow rope at points spaced along the rope, and also being cooperatively formed to define an entrance aperture intermediate such poihts, which aperture is angled relative to the handle, and of a size to admit the rope When the handle is thus angled relative 'to the rope; and. latch means interwnnecting the shackle and the handle to retain the shackle in operative position, said latch means being formed, relative to the handle and shackle, to 'be biased by forces reacting frorn the tow rope through the shackle for movement from latched to shackle-released 13osition, therebyto permlt automatic movement of the shackle into rope-releasing position under the infiuence of such forces, yet to be retained, by a hand which grasps the handle, in latched position.

2. A Ski tow rope gripping device as in claim 1, wherein the shackle is pivotally mounted betvveen its ends, upon an end of the handle, the handle extending away from its shackle-mounting and rope-binding end, for grasping, and the latch including a hand-grasped portion disposed, when in latching positi-on, along said handle.

3. A Ski tow rope gripping device as in claim 1, wherein the latch is formed as a lever pivoted near one end upon the handle, the s'hort end of said. latch being engageable With the shackle t0 retain the shackle in operative position, and the long end of the latch, while in la'tching position, extending along the handle for grasping by the band which grasps the handle.

4. A Ski tow rope gripping device as in claim 1, wherein the s'hackle is pivotally mounted between its ends, upon an axis located in one cf its arms and transve-rse to the length of the handle, near one end 015 the latter.

5. A sl i tow rope gripping device as in claim 1, wherein the notched shackle is pivotally mounted between its ends, and upon an axis. located in one arm of its notch and transverse to the length of the handle, and near one end of the handle, the latch being formed as a lever pivoted near one end upon the handle, the short end cf said latch lever being engaged With the short end of the shackle to retain the shackle in operative position, and the long end of the latch, while in latching position, lying along the handle in position for grasping by the band which grasps the handle.

6. A Ski tow rope gripping device as in claim 1, wherein the shackle and rope-engaging portion cf the handle are relatively formed and arranged when the shackle is in operative position, to define an angled entrance gap of a size to admit the rope when the handle is disposed at one angle thereto, and thereafter to bind the rope when the handle is swung by the towing forces, to a difierent angle.

7. A Ski tow rope gripping device comprising an elongated handle formed at one end, with an integral seat Offset from a median longitudinal plane of the handle, 170 engage one side 01" a tow rope; a shackle pivotally mounted upon said handle, onan axis generally parallel to the run of the tow rope, and adjacent said seat, -said shackle being formed, relative to said seat, to engage the opposite side cf the tow rope frum said seat, at a point at the opposite side of the median longitudinal plane from such seat, thereby -to cramp the rope therebetween, and when in rope-engaging position having its end inwardly swung to eooperate with the seat in embracing the rope about more than a half-circle, laut spaced from the handle sufficiently to admit the rope therebetween when the handle is disposed angularly relative to the rope, and latch means including a portion lying al0ngside the handle and zextending away from the shackle, sai-d lateh meang being mounted upon and for movement relative to the handle and engageable with the shackle to retain the latter in rope-engaging position, but upon release releasing the shackle for movement into outswung position under the influence of the rope-engaging forces.

8. A ski tow rope gripping device comprising a handle which in operation is disposed generally horizontally and projecting laterally and somevvhat rearvvardly from the t0w rope, an ofiset extension at and rigid with the rope-engaging end of the handle for positioning ahead of er behind the handle and -alongside the tow rope, to deflect the rope upon application of a force to the handle by reason of its offset location, a shackle pivotally mounted upon and in line with the handle, and -of substantially arcuate shape, to encircle the tow rope, and to complete, With said extension, encirclement thereof in excess cf a halfcircle, and under the influence of the same force to deflect the encircled rope oppositely to the extension, the shackle and the extension bein shaped and spaced to provide an entrance gap -of such size that, when the handle projects laterally and forwardly of the r0pe the rope may enter such semicircular notch of the shackle, and latch means ineluding a hand-g-rasped portion lying alongside the handle, engageable with the shackle to hold the latter in closed operative position, and biased by the ropes force acting upon the shackle f0r movement in'to shackle-released position, to free the shackle for pivotal movement into open position, away from said extension.

9. A ski tow rope gripping device comprising an elongated handle having a concave-endwise head portion at one end thereof adapted to engage one side of a tow rope at a location spaced laterally of the handles longitudinal midplane, a shackle member movably mounted in the same end of the handle and movable between rope-engaging position engaging the side of the tow rope opposite from said head portion, and rope-releasing position moved outwardly from said head portion, said shackle member in rope-engaging position contacting the rope at a location spaced lengthwise of the rope from said first location of its engagement with the head portion whereby inclining the handle With respect to the rope effects defiection of such rope be'tween such ations, and band-held latch means independently pivoted to the handle and engageable with seid shackle member to latch such member in ropeengaging position, said la-tch means having a lever-arm adapted to be held in the band grasping the handle; release whereof releaseg said la'tch means to release said shackle element and thereby the tow rope, such release of the rope being elfected immediately thereupon by the restoring force of the tow rope urging said shackle member away from said head portion during use of the device in towing with the handle projecting from the tow rope.

EARL E. LAGERGREN REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file cf this patent:

UNITED STA'I'ES PATENTS Number Name Date 20'79491 Cooke May 4, 1937 2217946 Dondero Oct. 15, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 27,660 Great Britain Sept. 5 1912 99,639 Germany Sept. 24, 1897 179,752 Canada Ost. 16, 1917 

